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"Guess I have to now. "
"Ah. " He tipped his head back in understanding. "Cat's out of the bag, huh? Sorry about that. "
"Logan's not. He shouted it to everyone. "
He grinned at that. "Yeah, when he decides he likes someone he gets pretty excited about 'em. " He folded his arms over his chest. "He doesn't like a lot of people. "
I didn't look up when I asked, "And Mason?"
I heard his husky chuckle. "Logan wouldn't like you if Mason hadn't given the stamp of approval. "
I looked up now, breathless again. "And when was that?"
He shrugged and looked past my shoulder again. "When he stopped you from hitting your mom. If he didn't give a damn about you, he would've watched you clobber her. Hell, I wanted to get snacks for the show. When Mason steps in, there's always a reason. "
I nodded. "I'm starting to get that. "
He clamped his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about this stuff, your friends and all. Logan's bound and determined to make you have fun tonight so I'd relax and let it happen. "
I grinned. "Ah, what all ra**sts say to their intended victims. "
Nate pulled back, narrowed his eyes, but barked out an abrupt laugh. "Yeah, I guess. " Then he nodded in the direction of Jessica and Lydia. "You want me to play guard dog until you're in Mason's car?"
I spotted the black Escalade not far and shook my head. "Nah. I'm good. " Then I chuckled to myself. "This is becoming a whole adventure. "
"Guess you could look at it that way. " He patted my shoulder again. "See you later. "
"See ya," I muttered under my breath as I watched him cut through Jessica and Lydia like a knife would go through butter. He didn't give care who he rolled over and both jumped back, eyes wide in shock.
I shook my head and couldn't stop another chuckle as I swung towards Mason's car. "Samantha!" Jessica called after me, but I ignored her until I was close to his car. Then I turned back around, leaned against his hood, and crossed my legs. I wasn't about to hide inside.
They stood where I had left and watched me. Jill and Ashley joined them and all four didn't say a word as they stared.
I lifted my chin up.
We were at a stand-off, but it didn't last long. Adam came out of the locker room and started to walk to his car. He caught sight of the other girls, followed their gazes and saw me. He stopped in the middle of us before he shook his head and came over. When he drew near, he reached up and shook out some of his wet hair.
"Hey. " He nodded across the parking lot. "What's with the brigade over there?"
I frowned. I hadn't considered Adam before. "It's nothing, just stupid stuff. "
"This about Sallaway again?"
I barked out a laugh. "No, not this time. "
"Oh. " He gave me a small smile. "So you came without Becky, huh?"
"Yep. I sat with some snobby sophomore even. Good times. "
He grinned. "I just got off the phone with her. "
"The stuck-up sophomore?" I teased.
"Becky," he laughed. "She said something about a sleeping pill so now she can sneak out. Want to go with me? I was going to pick her up before some party the guys want to hit tonight. "
"What party is that?"
He shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it's a Public one so I'm sure it'll be good. You want to come with?" Then his eyes widened a bit and a quick frown appeared. "Isn't this Mason Kade's car?"
"Um…" I stood from the car. "About that, I should call Becky. There are some things I need to tell her first…before she hears it from the wrong people. "
He stepped back and a wall came over him. "So you do know the Kades. "
I hesitated and lifted my shoulders. There wasn't much I could say, not when I owed Becky an explanation first. She was the only one who really deserved one, if anyone even did.
"Got it. " He nodded his head in an abrupt jerking movement. "Maybe I'll see you at the party, huh?"
"Adam. " He turned and started for his car at a fast walk. I called after him again, "Adam. "
"Are you dating your team's quarterback?"
I turned back around. Mason stood behind me and I searched for any inflection on his question. There was none. He didn't seem to care. His hair was wet from a shower and he wore a plain black tee shirt over jeans.
I shrugged now. "Not really. "
He grinned and took his keys from my hand. "I would've sacked him harder if I knew that. " As he unlocked the car and we both got in, he asked, "You hungry?"
Not after that, but I lifted a shoulder. "I guess. "
"Good. " He flashed me a smile. "I'm starving. "
As he peeled out of the parking lot, we went past where Lydia and Jessica remained in place. Their mouths hung open, along with Jill's. Ashley seemed calm. She even lifted her hand in a small wave.
I ignored it, but a sense of unease settled deep in my stomach. It wasn't good. None of this was good. If only Logan hadn't announced it and if Mason had ignored me in the parking lot, or if I had gotten out of their way—this all could've been avoided. I could've prevented it by going straight to my car and not dawdling, but I had…had I done it for a reason? For this reason? Did I want my secret out?
"You want anything?"
I jerked my head up and saw we were in a burger joint's parking lot. "Uh, no. I'm good. "
"You sure?" Mason jerked his head towards his door. "Come on. Come in with me. You'll need all the substance you can get once Logan finds you at the party. "
I opened my door and rounded the car. My palms were sweaty so I wiped them down the front of my pants. My stomach's nerves kicked up a notch when Mason held the door for me. He let it go when I stepped inside and led the way through the next door until we got inside. The air conditioner was still on inside and it gave me goosebumps.
A girl stood behind the register and her eyes got wide when she saw Mason. I recognized her from my school and then I remembered who she was. Her father was the manager and he wasn't very nice from what Lydia had told me a year ago.
She gave me a timid smile. "Hi, Sam. "
I waved, but didn't respond. I couldn't remember the girl's name.
Mason ordered for both of us and when he pulled out his wallet, her father came from the back. He shook his head and held out his hand. "Not from a Kade. I'm Walter Dubrois. I'm the manager of Burger Play. "
Mason shook his hand. "Thanks, sir. "
"Tell your father I said hello and you can eat free here anytime. "
"Thanks again. "
The food was quickly bagged up, by Walter himself, and I couldn't hold back a laugh in disbelief when we got into Mason's Escalade.
"What?"
I gestured to the building. "Does that happen often?"
He grimaced as he unwrapped his burger. "Sometimes, usually by some douchebag who wants to kiss my dad's ass. "
I shook my head. "You get free food; you can basically sleep with any girl you want. You have a very different life than the rest of us. "
"What do you mean by that?" There was an edge to his voice.
I looked over and held his gaze. The butterflies were long gone now. A storm had started to roll in. "I always knew you guys were like gods, but man, I didn't realize it was like this. "
He lifted his burger. "Free fast food?"
"No. " I sighed and sat back. "Nevermind. "
He grinned and turned the radio on. "Nah, I get it, but it's not all so great. "
"Right. "
"It's not. " He gave me a hard look. "People are snakes, you just have to figure out their different colors, but they're all the same. Everybody wants something. "
I put my food aside and hugged myself. "Like my mom. "
"Yeah, like her. " His tone hardened as well.
"I probably shouldn't say anything, but I'm sorry she bulldozed her way into your lives. "
He watched me for a full minute before he put his burger away. "She's the same type of snake my dad is. I kind of think they belong together. "
I grinned. "They'll screw each other up. "
"I give it a year before he cheats on your mom. "
I searched him for any indication of sarcasm or sorrow or even if he was laughing at my mom. Nothing. He was a blank slate. There was no emotion in him.
"I've started to wonder how much she cheated on David," I confessed.
"She was sniffing around my dad for almost two years. "
His words stabbed me and my gut recoiled. "She told me a year. "
"She lied. "
I nodded. "I'm starting to get that. "
"She met us a year ago, but she was around my dad for a year before that. Logan and I saw her go into one of his hotel conference rooms. He had just left our mom and she asked us to pick something up at the hotel—she's half owner. We were waiting for the general manager when we saw dad with some new sleaze. " He gave me a wry look. "No offense. "
"None taken. " She was my mom and I should've defended her, but it was past the point where I could muster the energy. There was nothing left in me. Then I asked him something else. "Why are you and Logan being nice to me?"
Something sparked in his eyes. "Why wouldn't we?"
It was my turn to give him a wry look. "Come on. You guys are a-holes. You don't care and I doubt the fact that I might be your stepsister has anything to do with it. "
He grinned and leaned back. "You didn't say anything about the cars before and you torched your coach's car for us. "
"I didn't do that for you. "
He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You kept your mouth shut about a lot of stuff, most would've been trying to get close to us and use us. You didn't give us the time of day. " He flashed his perfect white teeth at me. "It's refreshing. Then the day you were about to cream your mom, I realized you really don't care who we are. You hate your mom almost as much as we hate our dad. " He shrugged again. "I don't know, makes me kinda like you. " He chuckled. "Logan's told everyone about his new stepsister. He's proud of you. "
My phone went off and I checked the text. It was from Becky. 'At Kilbourn and 8th. Where r u? Adam said u wanted to talk?'
"Where's the party we're going to?"
"Fisher's house is on Kilbourn, by the parkway. Why?"
I sighed and sent a text. 'Be there soon. ' Then I looked up. "Just curious. "
His eyes lingered on my phone. "Was that the quarterback?"
"Nope. She's the quarterback's friend. She's my only friend right now. " Though, that could change after tonight.
He reached over and clipped my seat belt in, and then he dumped my food back in my lap. "You really should eat. Logan's got a list of shots he wants to pour down your throat. This is his way of hazing you into the family. "
I'd gone numb, but I unwrapped my sandwich and ate every last bit. I had no taste, no sense of swallowing, but I did and when I was done, we were at the party. I looked up at a huge house on an even bigger hill. Lights and people streamed out of it and as I watched, a group of guys and girls slid down the hill and sailed through the air into a small lake. Their shrieks and laughs pierced the Escalade's wall, but the loud bass quickly covered them up.
"Fun," I bit out.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
When we got inside, everyone knew Mason was there. Guys appeared from nowhere for a hand slap, a nod, or any greeting from him. Girls tried to curl on his arm, but he shook them off with an ease that was impressive. He left each behind and they all seemed not to realize what had happened before he was already gone. Then he stepped into the kitchen and a herald of cheers sounded out.